Circuit interrupter for hightension overhead wires



CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER FOR HIGH-TENSION OVERHEAD WIRES Filed Sept. 13, 1950 9 2.9 m. j 8 mg /g j Inventor 4' I z gm 5 Attorney Patented Feb. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER FOR HIGH- TENSION OVERHEAD WIRES John M. Penn, Orangebnrg, S. 0. Application September 13, 1950, Serial No. 184,614 Claims. (01. 175-294) to thereby eliminate deaths which are commonly caused by high tension wires which are allowed to drop to positions on or adjacent the ground due to storms or other causes which tear the wires loose from their supports or break of! the supports.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide an electrically energized severing unit which is adapted to be connected to a high tension wire for receiving current therefrom for energizing the unit only when the wire is displaced downwardly relative to its normal position for thereby automatically severing the wire to de-energize it before the wire can drop to a level at which it would provide a human hazard.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the invention in an applied position;

Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 3, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view 'of the invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawing,

- for the purpose of illustrating a preferred application and use of the circuit interruptor for high tension wires, comprising the invention and designated generally 5, the upper end of an electric pole 6 is illustrated in Figure 1 having the usual cross-arm 'l secured thereto, one end only of which is shown projecting laterally. from the pole 6 near its upper end. Said end of the crossarm I is shown provided with a conventional upstanding electrical insulator I to which a portion of a high tension wire I is connected in a conventional manner and so that the conductor 9 will extend transversely over said end of the crossarm 1 without being in contact therewith. The parts 6 to 9, inclusive illustrate a conventional mounting for a high tension wire.

The circuit interrupter 5 includes an electromagnet, designated generally I! inclosed within a housing II which is preferably formed of an vided with a plurality of outwardly projecting apertured ears l2 for receiving suitable driven fastenlngs II by means of which the housing II is secured to one side of the crossarm I, inwardly of but adjacent the high tension wire 9. The housing ll includes the usual coil of wire I and the usual core I! which is disposed within the coiled wire I and energized by current passing through said wire. An arm I. is fixed to and projects outwardly from the housing ll, adjacent its upperend and extends in a dime-- tion substantially parallel to the crossarm I and extends outwardly to beyond the high tension wire 9. The arm [6, adjacent its inner end is provided with a portion ll of electrical insulating material for positively insulating the arm 18 from the housing II but which may be omitted if the housing is formed of electrical insulating material. The arm 16 is provided with a downwardly offset arcuate intermediate portion l8, over which a portion of the high tension wire 9 extends and said port on I8 is preferably provided with an upwardly opening longitudinally extending groove or channel It. A lever 20 has one end pivotally connected as seen at 2i to the outer end of the arm I and extends inwardly and upwardly therefrom, relatively to said arm l6 and to the eectromagnet It. An armature 22 is secured to the inner end of the lever 20, which constitutes its free end, and is disposed directly over the upper end of the core 15. The lever 20 is provided with a portion 23 formed of electrical inulating material at its inner end and which connects with the armature 22 for insulating the lever 20 from the armature 22. The lever 20 is provided with an integral blade 24 which projects downwardly therefrom above the arcuate arm portion l8 and which extends longitudinally of the lever 20 and has an arcuate convexly bowed bottom cutting edge which is disposed over and normally spaced from the arcuate portion I 8 and which is receivable into the groove is when the lever 20 is swung downwardly on its pivot 2|, as will hereinafter be described; The high tension wire 9 has a portion extending between the arcuate portion l8 and the cutting edge of the blade 24. A leaf spring 28 is secured by a fastening 26 at one of its ends to the underside of the lever 20, near the free end of said lever, and extends longitudinally of the lever and is curved toward the arm l6 and has its opposite, free end slidably bearing upon the arm It for supporting the lever 20 and armature 22 in their elevated positions as illustrated in Figure 1 and electrical insulating material and which is proin full lines in Figure 2.

An electrical conductor 21 has one end thereof connected by a post 28 of electrical conducting material through the housing ii to one end of the coil of wire l4 and the opposite end of the conductor 21 is connected to the high tension wire 9 between the end thereof, not shown, which is connected to the source of current and the insulator 8; the arm l6 and lever being disposed on the other side of the insulator 3 to the point of connection of the conductor 21 with the wire 9. A suitable resistance 29 is interposed in the conductor 27 to reduce the current supplied to the electromagnet 10. A post 30 of electrical conducting material is connected to the opposite end of the coiled wire 14 and extends outwardly through the housing I I and is connected to one end of a conductor wire 3|, the opposite end of which is connected to a stationary switch contact 322 which is suitably secured to the housing It and which is suitably insulated from said housing, if the housing is formed of electrical conducting material. A movable switch contact comprises a resilient strip of electrical conducting material having an upper end which is secured by a fastening 33a to the housing above the contact 32 and is suitably insulated from the housing, if the latter is formed of electrical conducting material. The lower, free end of the resilient contact strip 33, which is spaced outwardly from the housing H, is yieldably retained by its resiliency out of engagement with the contact as seen in Figure 2. A lever or arm 34, preferably of electrical insulating material is connected at one end thereof by a hinge 35 to the arm l6 and is hingedly supported thereby for vertical swinging movement. The lever 34 extends transversely across the upper part of the movable switch contact and is disposed above its lower free end. Said lever 34 is provided at its opposite end with a lateral extension 36 having a forked or bifurcated outer free end 31 including upper and lower furcations or prongs which straddle a portion of the high tension wire 9 and so that the upper prong or furcation rests upon and is supported by the wire 9 for thereby supporting the lever 34 in an elevated position above and out of engagement with the movable contact 33. An electrical conductor or ground wire 38 has one end connected to the movable switch contact 33 and the opposite end of said wire 38 is suitably grounded as indicated at 39.

It will be readily apparent that the circuit interruptor 5 may be mounted on the crossarm of each pole 6 along a line of supporting poles and crossarms which support a high tension wire or the unit 5 may be mounted on crossarms of alternate poles or at any other desired distance apart. Likewise, if another high tension wire, not shown, is supported on the opposite end or the crossarm 1, not shown, a corresponding unit could be provided for this high tension wire. So long as the high tension wire 9 is properly supported at spaced intervals by insulators 8 which are supported on crossarms I, the wire 9 by engagement with the upper prong or furcation of the fork 31 will support the lever 34 in an elevated position out of engagement with the movable contact 33 so that the electromagnet ID will not be grounded by engagement of contacts 32 and 33 and therefore no current will flow through the winding [4 thereof. However, if a pole 6 located beyond the lower right-hand end 01 the wire as shown in Figure 1 is broken off or uprooted or if a crossarm 1 thereof is broken, to permit the lower right-hand end of the wire 9 to drop downwardly, this will result in the wire 8 between its lower right-hand end and the insulator 8 moving out of engagement with the upper prong or iurcation of the fork 31 to permit the lever 34 to swing downwardly to momentarily engage and displace the lower free end of the movable switch contact 33 into engagement with the stationary contact 32 so that the electromagnet 10 will be grounded through the conductor wire 3 i stationary contact 32, movable contact 33, and conductor 38 to the ground 39 so that current can then flow from the high tension wire 8 through the conductor 27 to the winding 14 of the electromagnet for encrgizing the core 15. This will attract the armature 22 which will be drawn downwardly and into engagement with the core l5, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, for swinging the lever 20 downwardly against the action of its spring 26. When this occurs, the convex cutting edge 4| of the knife or blade 24 will initially force the wire 3 down against the upper grooved surface of the downwardly bowed arm portion 18 and will thereafter sever said wire portion as the cutting edge 4i moves into the groove I9 to thus de-energize the high tension wire 9 so that the portion thereof which has been allowed to drop downwardly to a position adjacent the ground will not be energized and therefore will not provide a hazard. It will be readily apparent that this tie-energizing of the high tension wire will be accomplished almost instantaneously whenever the wire drops appreciably below its normal level so that regardless of the cause, the high tension wire will be de-energized before it can drop to a level where it will be dangerous to persons standing on the ground. The lever or arm 34 will move past the lower end of the contact 33 in its downward swinging movement so that contact 33 will almost immediately move out of engagement with the contact 32 to again de-energize the electromagnet; however, the electromagnet will be energized long enough to accomplish cutting of the wire as heretofore described.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A circuit interruptor for high tension wires comprising an arm across which a high tension wire is adapted to extend and over which a portion 01' the high tension wire is disposed, a lever pivotally connected at one end to one end of said arm, a blade depending from said lever and having a cutting edge extending longitudinally thereof and disposed over said portion of the high tension wire, electromagnetic means adapted to be supported by a crossarm or an electric pole to which the opposite end of said arm is secured and from which said arm is insulated, an armature connected to and insulated from the opposite end of the lever and disposed over and normally spaced from said electromagnetic means, a stationary switch contact supported by and electrically connected to one end of the winding of said electromagnetic means, a grounded movable contact having an upper end connected to and insulated from the electromagnet and an outwardly offset lower end disposed for yielding movement into engagement with the stationary contact, a second lever pivotally connected at one end to the arm for vertical swinging movement thereon having a portion resting on the high tension wire and supported thereby for supporting an intermediate portion of the second lever above and adjacent the lower free end 01 the movable contact and out of engagement therewith. said second lever being displaced downwardly by gravity when the portion of the high tension wire engaged by the second lever is displaced downwardly a predetermined distance to momentarily engage the movable contact and displace it into engagement with the stationary switch contact for momentarily grounding said electromagnetic means, and an electrical conductor connecting the opposite end or the winding 01' the electromagnetic means to the high tension wire remote to said last mentioned portion of the wire for energizing the electromagnetic means when the stationary and movable switch contacts are in a circuit making position to attract the armature downwardly for causing the blade to cut through the first mentioned portion oi the wire to de-energize the high tension wire.

2. A circuit interruptor as in claim 1, and spring means engaging adjacent sides of the arm and first mentioned lever and normally supporting the first mentioned lever and armature in elevated positions relatively to said electromagnetic means.

3. A circuit interruptor for high tension wires comprising shear means between which a portion of a high tension wire is adapted to extend, said shear means including a stationary part and a movable part, an electromagnet adapted to be supported on a crossarm of an electric pole and adapted to be electrically connected to the high tension wire on one side of said shear means, an armature supported by and insulated from the movable shear part and normally disposed in spaced relationship to the electromagnet, a switch including a stationary contact connected to the electromagnet and a grounded movable resilient contact normally retained by its resiliency out of engagement with the stationary contact. and a lever pivoted to the stationary shear part for vertical swinging movement having a portion engaging the high tension wire on the other side of said shear means and normally supported thereby above and out of engagement with the movable contact, said lever being gravity urged into engagement with the movable contact to displace said contact into engagement with the stationary contact whereby the electromagnet is grounded and energized when the last mentioned portion of the high tension wire is displaced downwardly a predetermined distance to thereby cause the armature to be attracted by the electromagnet for actuating the shear means for severing the first mentioned portion of the high tension wire.

4. A circuit interrupter as in claim 3, and spring means interposed between the stationary part and movable part of said shear means and normally urging said parts away from one another and for supporting said armature in spaced apart relationship to the electromagnet.

5. A circuit interrupter as in claim 3, said movable contact having a free end normally disposed beneath and in the path of downward swinging movement or the lever and engaged by the lever when the latter is swung downwardly for momentarily displacing the movable contact into engagement with the stationary contact for completing the electric circuit to the electromagnet. said lever being movable past the free end of the movable contact to release said movable contact to permit the movable contact to be biased by its resiliency out of engagement with the stationary contact whereby the electric circuit to the electromagnet is only momentarily maintained in a closed position.

JOHN M. PENN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France June 2, 1932 

